Homegrown auto major Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled the electric version of its popular mini truck, Ace, as it continues the drive for electrification of its portfolio. The company has also signed pacts with leading e-commerce players such as Amazon, BigBasket, City Link, DOT, Flipkart, LetsTransport, MoEVing and Yelo EV, to supply the Ace EV and it has already received orders for 39,000 units.
The company will also look to build platforms in the e-cargo segment to build solutions to serve market requirements. Speaking at the unveiling of the Ace EV, Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran said sustainable mobility is an imperative as well as a trend that is irreversible and it is a global mega trend.
"At the Tata Group, Tata Motors in particular, we have embraced this fully and made a business model that integrates sustainability as one of the key pillars. Whether it is in passenger cars, our commercial vehicles, or in general Jaguar Land Rover, we are committed to making this transition and are accelerating it everyday," he said.
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Stating that Tata Motors has already made significant progress in its electrification journey, Chandrasekaran said, "We already have launched several models in the car segment and are leading this movement in the passenger cars.”
"In the commercial vehicles we have successfully launched electric buses and we are seeing huge acceptance and pickup in that segment. Today marks the day where we are moving into e-cargo mobility..."
Stressing that the Ace mini truck has been a forerunner, a category creator and "a beacon of hope for many entrepreneurs and millions across India", Chandrasekaran said, "Ace EV we are renewing our commitment to bring the benefits of electrification to all these entrepreneurs across the country."
He further said, "And we want to continue to engage and build e-cargo solutions, not only in Ace platform, but in other categories as per what is required to serve the market across the country." Tata Motors said the Ace EV is the first product featuring its 'EVOGEN' powertrain that offers a certified range of 154 kilometres on a single charge. The Ace EV is powered by a 27kW (36hp) motor with 130 Nm of peak torque.
Commenting on the significance of the Ace EV, Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh said growing urbanization, digitalization and infrastructure growth together are transforming India's logistics sector rapidly. "E-commerce is booming and the demand for last-mile distribution of goods is expanding significantly. This represents the next big opportunity for customized EV solutions," he added.
Exactly 17 years ago, he said the Ace mini truck was launched revolutionising the last-mile transportation in India and it is already "a vehicle of choice for the last-mile e-commerce application with more than 70 per cent penetration".
"Since its launch in 2005, Ace has been a consistent winner with strong endorsement from more than 2 million proud owners. I think it could not be more apt than the Ace EV to trigger the next zero-emission transition in India's cargo segment," Wagh said.
He said Tata Motors partnered with leading e-commerce players and the logistics service providers to understand their requirements while developing the Ace EV. The price of the Ace EV would be announced when deliveries start from the next quarter, Wagh added.
Last week, Tata Motors unveiled its all-new electric vehicle architecture for passenger vehicles on which it plans to introduce multiple advanced EVs starting from 2025. The auto major, which currently leads the domestic electric passenger vehicle segment, aims to drive in multiple body styles on the
AVINYA Concept, which is based on its GEN 3 architecture.
First Published: May 5, 2022 3:19 PM IST
